Taking Ten With: The Movement (AUS)

Darcy has built ‘The Movement’, an online wellness community that empowers and connects like-minded women globally. Her passion for reshaping societal beauty standards and work with charities has recently won her a 'Miss Congeniality' award. Darcy's resilience has given us food for thought on how to move mountains to overcome adversity.

MEET DARCY FROM THE MOVEMENT ...

DARCY, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE PIONEERING RIGHT NOW AND WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO YOU?

I am working to empower women and shake up the way in which society understands beauty and self-worth. Measuring the value of a woman by her appearance makes her small, and limits the way in which she can impact the world. How can we expect the rapid, powerful, and awe-inspiring resolution of the many global issues we face, when half of the world’s population is distracted, preoccupied in trying to meet society’s impossible standards? This issue is incredibly important to me, as I know first-hand how much it hurts to balance my self-worth on the way I look.

I’m chasing (and creating) a world in which women are free from the restraints of their physicality. In this new world, women are inherently valued for the way that they are, and are free to use their minds and their spirits to be a true contribution. I have created a collective focused on the empowerment of women, called 'The Movement,' and I hope to really foster a safe space of community and vision.

HOW DOES YOUR PASSION DRIVE YOU TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY WITHIN THE MODELLING INDUSTRY?

I have very little experience modelling, but nonetheless in November I decided to apply as a contestant for Miss West Coast 2018. This is something for which I would have previously considered myself ‘insufficient’. Luckily, I have come a long way in the manner in which I see myself and I desire for each and every woman to know themselves ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’. As such, I really was conscious of the conversations I created with the other contestants, and I strived to support each and every woman on the journey with me.

Through the program we were encouraged to fundraise for Toybox International, a charity which supports sick and disadvantaged children. This is an aspect of the pageant that I really admire. Instead of asking my friends and family for donations, I chose to run ‘girl-power’ events, giving back to the women in my life while raising support for a very worthy cause.

HOW DOES RESILIENCY INFLUENCE YOUR WELLBEING?

Being resilient means to be flexible, to be fluid. It is the ability to spring back from hardship, the way a rose re-grows and blossoms after having been cut back.

Difficulties are going to arise in our paths – that is the nature of life. One can either be disheartened by this fact, or can choose to understand that these difficulties allow us to grow and develop. It is very empowering to remember that there is no ‘failure’ in life, only lessons.

TELL US, WHO'S INSPIRING YOU RIGHT NOW?

I am deeply inspired by Malala Yousefzai, the young Pakistani woman who was shot by the Taliban in 2012 while advocating for female education. She is an incredibly passionate, courageous and humble young woman. She is also twenty one, and has spoken before the UN, being the youngest Nobel Prize laureate. I am moved by the strength of her conviction and the powerful voice she is for the cause she believes in.

WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUGGLING TO BREAK FREE FROM STEREOTYPES?

I really try to not let disagreeable people stop me from that which I want to achieve, although it can be very difficult to not take their words to heart. In this, I think it’s extremely important to be surrounded with people that recognise the vision you have and are willing to support you. Get connected. We do things better when we do them together. Surrounding myself with a community of supportive and loving people is crucial in my journey. It is for that reason that I created 'The Movement.' Envelop yourself in a space where you feel empowered and valued, and you will feel the stronghold of stereotypes begin to melt away.

HOW HAVE YOU OVERCOME HARDSHIPS IN ORDER TO GROW AS A PERSON?

As I look back on my life, I can see that every hardship I faced was essential in shaping the woman that I am today, and for those difficulties I am now very grateful.

WHAT FUELS THE WORK YOU DO?

I believe that good health is something that should be cherished, celebrated and enjoyed. It is such a privilege. I deeply value my physical health – no longer in order to look a certain way, but because when I feel good I show up most powerfully for the people around me.

I work with a nutritional cleansing system which has helped me become free from anxiety around food and diet. The 30-day challenge is a program that I run, during which, there is a focus on nutrient-dense food, intentional movement, and connection with the other participants.

SO, WHAT ARE YOUR TIPS ON IDENTIFYING AND DEVELOPING YOUR STRENGTHS?

My pastor once gave a sermon which I found very insightful. The passage tells the story of a widow who is blessed with a little pot of oil. This little pot of oil doesn’t run out, no matter how much she pours from it. Our pastor encouraged us to identify our ‘little pot of oil’ – the part within us that doesn’t run out.

We are all blessed with different gifts, and it is powerful to be in touch with them. I think that it is very illuminating to examine what it is that brings you joy. Personally, I love encouraging people. Connecting with others and supporting them in their endeavours always regenerates me in a way that nothing else does. I have learnt to recognise and celebrate that part of me.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR 'THE MOVEMENT'?

The aim in my work will always be to empower the women around me. I hope that 'The Movement' will continue to grow and develop, and I plan on hosting more events, collaborating further with the amazing women in my community in Perth, and as it grows globally.

I believe that big changes start small, before they can gain momentum and affect large-scale transformation. Just as Ghandi said, it is up to each and every one of us to “be the change we want to see in the world”. Everything starts with us, and our voices, right now.

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Creator of The Movement, Darcy Crowe, shares her empowering passion for “chasing (and creating) a world in which women are free from the restraints of their physicality.” Re-shaping the way society understands beauty and self-worth is an ambitious task, but if anyone has the strength, determination and resilience to do it, it’s Darcy!

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